The Political Economy of Agricultural Booms

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

   PDF

2. The International Political Economy of Agriculture

   • Mariano Turzi

   Pages 1-21

3. A Super-Seeding Business

   • Mariano Turzi

   Pages 23-48

4. Global Trading

   • Mariano Turzi

   Pages 49-81

5. Coordination: Brazil

   • Mariano Turzi

   Pages 83-100

6. Colonization: Paraguay

   • Mariano Turzi

   Pages 101-116

7. Confrontation (…and Beyond): Argentina

   • Mariano Turzi

   Pages 117-126

8. Back Matter

   Pages 127-154

   PDF

This book offers an in-depth analysis of the political economy of soybean production in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, by identifying the dominant private and public actors and control mechanisms that have given rise to a corporate-driven, vertically integrated system of regionalized agricultural production in the Southern Cone of South America. The current agricultural boom surrounding soybean production has been aided by aggressive new agro-technologies, including biotechnology, leading to massive organizational changes in the agricultural sector and a significant rise in the power of special interest groups and corporations. Despite having similar initial production conditions, the pattern of economic activity surrounding soybean production in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, continues to be largely determined by the needs of the multinational corporations involved, rather than national considerations of comparative advantage. The author uses these findings to argue that the new international model of agricultural production empowers chemical and trading multinational companies over national governments.

• South America
• Political Economy
• Industrial Agriculture
• International Trade
• Natural Resource Governance
• latin american politics
• natural resources and energy economics

“Turzi’s analysis of soybean production in the three case studies dissects the political economy of Latin America and, to an extent, that of other developing regions, examining the role played by agribusiness and its dealings through the supply side. The book notably advances the concept of a ‘soybean republic’: an economic model that highlights the geo-economic pull of transnational corporations … This book makes substantial contributions to the disciplines of agroeconomics and development. Whilst challenging, it is a rewarding read.” (Josselin Canévet, LSE Review of Books, blogs.lse.ac.uk, February, 2019)​

• Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina

  Mariano Turzi

Mariano Turzi is Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Torcuato Di Tella University, Argentina. He has written on the international political economy of natural resources, introducing the “Soybean Republic” (Yale Journal of International Affairs) and the “Soybean OPEC” (Current History).

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